1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable polymers and articles made therefrom. In particular, the present invention provides hot liquid and alkaline soluble or dispersable polymers and methods of making and disposing of the same.
2. Background
The disposal of plastic articles presents a major cost to society. Plastics take longer to degrade than almost any other item routinely used and disposed of today. In addition, items often considered degradable may not actually degrade at all if placed in landfills and then covered with other debris, thereby preventing exposure to oxygen which is usually required for degradation.
In addition to a long degradation cycle, plastics often take up a disproportionate volume in the waste disposal process. Inherently light, and often bulky, plastics use more volume per pound than most other rigid materials.
The use of plastic items is common in the industrial environment. Films are often used to isolate areas in which potentially hazardous chemicals or items are being handled, cleaned up, or used, i.e., in nuclear power plants. Films can also be used to protect what is enclosed within the contained area, as is the case with paint rooms where films are used to protect the item being painted from dust and particulate matter. In both such cases, these films create problems in disposal due to their volume and also potentially hazardous materials being coated on them. As mentioned earlier, the light weight and bulkiness of these materials increase the cost per pound for their disposal.
Molded plastics also create disposal problems. Also light weight and bulky, these items have the added disadvantages that they are difficult to compact. Like films, molded items such as buckets and basins displace more dense items disposed of in landfills, drums, or other waste containers. The resulting cost per pound for disposal of this waste is increased since fewer pounds per cubic foot can be placed in the disposal container. If a container is used to hold a hazardous material, it must also be disposed of as hazardous waste. Since often disposal cost is governed by volume, the cost of disposing of a large, plastic item used in the handling of a hazardous material can actually exceed the purchase price of the item itself.
Burning plastics as a method of disposal is not preferred because burning can result in the emission of dioxins and other atmospheric pollutants. Most incinerator operators would prefer to dispose of waste which was free of plastics, since their potential contaminants would be decreased and lifetime of the incinerator increased. Also, as clean air regulations force the shutdown of waste incinerators, prices for the disposal of plastics by incineration should be expected to increase.
A dissolvable or dispersable polymer that can be converted into a film or molded into parts is ideal for solving these disposal issues. Even when contaminated with hazardous materials, technologies exist for the waste water to be cleaned prior to its return to the municipal water system. Then, not only would the volume of materials being disposed of outside the facility decrease, but so would the cost and pollution associated with transporting this waste to the disposal site. Worker exposure would be reduced by onsite disposal as the contaminated material would only need to be handled once. Cost could be reduced as a material once disposed of as hazardous waste would not be able to be sent down the drain. And, the potential exists for contaminants to be filtered and reconcentrated after processing allowing for their reuse in subsequent processes.
In the hospital setting, disposal of articles generates considerable quantities of infectious medical waste in primary and acute care facilities. There has been a general conversion in such settings away from reusable, cleanable items, to disposable items over the last three decades. This conversion has been made to promote antiseptic techniques in patient care and to decrease the potential for cross-infections between patients, staff and the general public. Recent federal and state government regulations such as the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 and OSHA Medical Facility rules have resulted in a substantial increase in medical waste that must be classified as "infectious."
When a patient is admitted to a hospital, the patient produces approximately 55 pounds of medical waste per day. Approximately 20% of this waste is infectious. The current stated objective of the American Hospital Association and the Centers for Disease Control is to treat medical waste as soon as it is generated. Both organizations recognize that medical waste is primarily an occupational hazard for health care workers and not an environmental problem. The best way to handle infectious medical waste is to disinfect it at the point of generation and dispose of the treated medical waste with minimum on premises handling and storage. The need for an effective way to dispose of medical waste has been highlighted by the amendment made to 29 C.F.R. 1910.1030 which provides for the federal regulation under the Occupational Safety And Health Act, 29 U.S.C. 655, 657 to control blood borne pathogens. Specifically, the Act calls for the establishment of an exposure control plan, the containment of specimens of blood or other potentially infectious materials and the general tightening of precautionary measures to minimize the spread of disease. A safe and effective way to dispose of hospital waste would greatly facilitate compliance with the above-referenced Act.
As mentioned above, the disposal of many materials creates hazardous byproducts. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide a composition and articles made therefrom where the byproducts of the disposal process are non-toxic.
In addition, many articles currently disposed of in landfills and the like are not biodegradable and, therefore, present a significant long-term environmental hazard. It is therefore further desirable to provide compositions and articles made therefrom wherein the disposal process leads to biodegradable byproducts. In addition, it is highly desirable to provide articles which themselves are non-toxic and/or biodegradable.
Thus, there exists a need for articles capable of being disposed of after use while avoiding additional burdens being placed upon landfills and other disposal sites.